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Wanted: more offense

By JASON WHITLOCK

Columnist

In case you forgot, when last we saw our Chiefs, the final score was 23-8, the Chiefs didnít get a first down until late in the third quarter, Larry Johnson rushed for 32 yards, and the Indianapolis Colts fielded one of the leagueís worst defenses.
Carl Peterson, Herm Edwards and Bill Kuharich should have been forced to re-watch KCís playoff loss in the hours leading up to the draft. Maybe then they would have been reminded of what they needed to do over the weekend.
Kansas Cityís offense needs a major injection of youth, talent and energy. Somehow that has all been forgotten this offseason. So after signing two free-agent linebackers, the Chiefs reluctantly settled on a wide receiver in the first round of the draft and then settled on a Turk and a Tank, two defensive linemen, in the second and third rounds.
Am I the only one who remembers Indianapolis? Am I the only one who remembers that Dick Vermeil went overboard trying to build an offense and that Herm promised to build a complete team?
Am I the only person who thinks it is absolute lunacy to hand Larry Johnson any more contract leverage?
Let me be the first to label this offseason a failure. I donít mind climbing out on limbs. Iíll be the first to apologize if Iím wrong. But from my view, the Chiefs played this thing all wrong.
They did not do near enough to fix their decaying offense. Will Shields retired. Trent Green is on his way out. Larry Johnson wants Peyton Manning money. The Chiefs never replaced Willie Roaf or Tony Richardson. Eddie Kennison is old.
And letís see, a little more than three months after the most embarrassing offensive performance in the history of the league, the Chiefs take a flier on Sylvester Bowe or Dwayne Morris or SlyBowe.
Hey, Iím not down on Dwayne Bowe, the receiver out of LSU. I was happy about his acquisition. I called it a great pick at the time. But the Chiefs needed to do more on the offensive side of the ball.
They should have taken an offensive tackle in the second round. Who? I donít know. If there was no tackle worthy of a second-round pick, Iíd have taken another receiver. In the third round, they should have selected Louisville running back Michael Bush, a sure-fire top-15 pick had he not broken his leg. The Raiders took Bush with the first pick of the fourth round. He might be the steal of the draft.
Right now, if Larry Johnson holds out in a contract dispute, Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard should sue Peterson, Edwards and Kuharich for negligence.
It is impossible to develop a young quarterback (Croyle) without the proper complementary surrounding talent. It appears Croyle is going to get Schottenheimered, which is quarterback death caused by neglect.
Dick Vermeil put on a five-year clinic on how to develop a quarterback. You pamper quarterbacks. Peterson didnít pay attention, and Herm spends his free time fantasizing about 9-3 field-goal shootouts.
Did anyone notice that the Colts drafted a receiver in the first round and an offensive tackle in the second? The Colts are constantly giving Manning new toys to play with.
Croyle and Huard got Bowe and upgraded life-insurance policies. Meanwhile, Herm and Gunther Cunningham got a Tank and a Turk to maneuver, and a new kicker.
If Johnson is a no-show, the Chiefs wonít score a touchdown this season. Not an offensive one. Even with Johnson, the KC offense is still highly suspect. Bowe is not a burner. He wonít open up passing lanes for Tony Gonzalez. In fact, Bowe is likely to crowd Gonzalezís zones. Best-case scenario, Bowe is a T.J. Houshmandzadeh, the Bengals receiver who plays opposite speedster Chad Johnson.
The Chiefs donít have a Chad Johnson. They donít have a dominant offensive line, either. They have a top-flight, 31-year-old tight end and a punishing, overworked, hard-to-like running back who wants a $30 million signing bonus. Thatís it.
The Chiefs made five key acquisitions this offseason: two linebackers, two defensive tackles and a receiver.
Rewatch the Indy playoff game and ask yourself whether the offseason strategy makes any sense at all.

I sadly agree with him as well. The offense needed some major retooling and it didn't get it. Keyshawn Johnson became available today. Those would be some dependable hands to throw to. But I wonder if the lockeroom would become a ticking time bomb with LJ and Keyshawn in the same room.

I also think Bowe is a little faster than Jason lets on. His 40yd times were in the 4.4-4.5 range which isn't shabby. He's 6'2" with a 33 inch vertical and isn't afraid of going across the middle weighing in at 217 lbs.
I'm not really worried about the RB position as much as the O-line. The O-line seems to be the real question mark on this team.

I sadly agree with him as well. The offense needed some major retooling and it didn't get it. Keyshawn Johnson became available today. Those would be some dependable hands to throw to. But I wonder if the lockeroom would become a ticking time bomb with LJ and Keyshawn in the same room.

I also think Bowe is a little faster than Jason lets on. His 40yd times were in the 4.4-4.5 range which isn't shabby. He's 6'2" with a 33 inch vertical and isn't afraid of going across the middle weighing in at 217 lbs.
I'm not really worried about the RB position as much as the O-line. The O-line seems to be the real question mark on this team.

this is why C.P. still has a job. I bet by the end of spring training, Carl will have landed at least 2 offensive "saviors" and Arrowhead will be sold out at every home game again with the hopes and anticipation from the Chief faithful that "this year is the year". Everybody who was on his *** about not drafting any O-lineman will get what they wanted in free agency and all will be right with the Chiefs.

Carl keeps butts in the seats and gets another extension.

"give them thier bread and thier circuses"

"It's all about entertainment in Kansas City. They sell out that stadium every year even though they'll soon be celebrating thier sentinial from the last time they made the Super Bowl. The fans don't demand excellence, they demand offense."

Good Old Twitlock, hard at it again...I did enjoy the line about him "climbing out on a limbs." Twitlock on a limb with Rhonda under him with open arms, what a cute pair.

They should have taken an offensive tackle in the second round. Who? I donít know. If there was no tackle worthy of a second-round pick, Iíd have taken another receiver.

Wow, now that shows the right direction! OT Joe Staley sure might have been a solid pick but was far from the best value. Staley benefitted from a very weak OT class. Twitlock might want to slow down just a bit and give some consideration to the fact that the Chiefs were NOT going to be able to fill all the holes with one draft.

As for filling the O-line holes, that may in fact need to be address with next years draft. The talent pool at center, guard and tackle should be much deeper and more talented. I'll go out on a limb and say that the chiefs could very easily spend the majority of the 2008 draft shopping for O-line help. Let's not forget that there will be a free agency period prior to that draft, and my money is on the Chiefs making upgrades at the cornerback position.

Granted there is the 2007 season to play and hopes are always high this time of year, but no matter how you slice it, a bumpy road is just ahead. But even with a sub .500% 2007 record, the really gain will come through the quality playing time and on field experience obtained by the young players. Chiefs fans should not discount the season but put it into prospective, it won't be about victories or a playoff run but a look into the future.

Good Old Twitlock, hard at it again...I did enjoy the line about him "climbing out on a limbs." Twitlock on a limb with Rhonda under him with open arms, what a cute pair.

They should have taken an offensive tackle in the second round. Who? I donít know. If there was no tackle worthy of a second-round pick, Iíd have taken another receiver.

Wow, now that shows the right direction! OT Joe Staley sure might have been a solid pick but was far from the best value. Staley benefitted from a very weak OT class. Twitlock might want to slow down just a bit and give some consideration to the fact that the Chiefs were NOT going to be able to fill all the holes with one draft.

As for filling the O-line holes, that may in fact need to be address with next years draft. The talent pool at center, guard and tackle should be much deeper and more talented. I'll go out on a limb and say that the chiefs could very easily spend the majority of the 2008 draft shopping for O-line help. Let's not forget that there will be a free agency period prior to that draft, and my money is on the Chiefs making upgrades at the cornerback position.

Granted there is the 2007 season to play and hopes are always high this time of year, but no matter how you slice it, a bumpy road is just ahead. But even with a sub .500% 2007 record, the really gain will come through the quality playing time and on field experience obtained by the young players. Chiefs fans should not discount the season but put it into prospective, it won't be about victories or a playoff run but a look into the future.